A Tribute to Gandhiji and Shastriji on October 2

TNI Bureau: Entire nation is paying tribute to MK Gandhi – father of the nation – and India’s second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversary today.

Mohandas Karam chand Gandhi, who is best known as Mahatma Gandhi and Gandhiji, was born on 2^nd October 1869 in Porbandar, the erstwhile Bombay Presidency during the reign of British India. Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on 2^nd October in 1904 in Mughal Sarai of the United Provinces of the then British India.

Amid sacrifices by a huge number of people of diverse concepts and thoughts and from different places, classes, linguistics and religions, Mahatma Gandhi is always regarded as the key personality to make India achieve independence and own governance in 1947.

Yet, freedom fighter Shastri entered the Indian independence movement in 1920, inspired by Gandhiji’s teaching and later became the Prime Minister. But he is regarded as a national hero following his strong role in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965.

Mahatma Gandhi had propounded the philosophy of Satyagraha and Ahimsa advocating non-violence and pacifism. In 1888, he travelled to London, England, to study law at University College London, where he studied Indian law and jurisprudence.

This fact implies that he hailed from a family which could afford to send their son to a foreign country like United Kingdom around one and half century ago. Thus, the Mahatma could have enjoyed a luxurious life. But when he came to know about the vulnerable condition of his fellow the then Indians (after the famous train incident) he eventually decided to live the life of a ‘Fakir’, a man without any materialistic means. Is it not a great thing? Of course yes, and that is why, he best deserves to be epithet as a ‘Mahatma’.

Lal Bahadur Shastri is more known for his honesty, integrity, hard work, determination, persistence and strong leadership. During his childhood once Shastri had swam across the river Ganges, as he had not money to pay for the boat fare. He could have easily borrowed the same from his friends, but decided not to beg and uphold his principle. One can guess the great life concept and philosophy of him from this incident.

Also, in another incident, when a train accident occurred during his tenure as the Railway Minister, he took moral responsibility and resigned from his post, which is a rare event.

Ironically, analyzing the present political scenario of India, it is hard to believe that once upon a time such noble people like Gandhi and Shastri were in Indian politics.

On this auspicious day of Gandhi and Shastri Jayanti, we pay homage to these true national heroes.